PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi trade barbs in poll-bound MP, Mizoram

In high-octane rallies in poll-bound states of Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi trained their guns at each other, with the PM asking voters not to “give a single vote” to the opposition party and Gandhi raking up ongoing issues in the CBI and the Reserve Bank of India.

Both Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh will go to polls on November 28. Results for all states will be announced on December 11.

In Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi told voters that the state has a “double-engine” as BJP is in power in the state and the Centre. Targeting the Nehru-Gandhi family, Modi said, “History proves that no dynasty prevails after its fourth generation rule in Delhi and Congress will also meet the same fate”.

BJP’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan is currently the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. “He is in power for the last 15 years but effectively got only four and a half years as during the rest of the period, the state always fought with the Centre for its rights in the UPA-led regime at the Centre,” Modi said.

On the other hand, Gandhi stepped up his attack on the Modi-led government and accused it of interfering in the functioning of important institutions like the Election Commission and the CBI in a rally at Mizoram’s capital Aizawl. Raking up the Rafale deal, the CBI infighting, and a press conference by four seniormost judges of the Supreme Court in February this year, the Congress chief attacked the Centre and accused the PM of robbing public money and using it to buy publicity.

“The Modi government is interfering in the functioning of the Planning Commission, RBI, CBI and Election Commission. Four judges of the Supreme Court said they could not do their jobs due to government interference,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi also mocked the Sangh Parivar and said that being an RSS man is sufficient qualification to be governor or vice chancellor. BJP chief Amit Shah too addressed a rally in Mizoram today where he accused the state government of misusing the funds the Centre gave it for developmental projects. Promising to create 50,000 jobs, Shah said that Mizo language would be included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, as promised in the BJP’s manifesto.

In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has been in power for 15 consecutive years, whereas the Congress has remained undefeated in Mizoram for 10 straight years. Both parties are now determined to fight anti-incumbency and retain power this time around.